But what happens if you’re diagnosed with a serious condition? What happens if your doctor tells you that you have cancer? Aside from the physical and emotional burden that you may be dealing with, there is also the constant worrying of the financial implications of the disease. Cancer treatments can be extremely expensive, but if you have health insurance it may be able to help cut down your medical expenses.

The Affordable Care Act and Your Insurance Coverage

Many lives can be saved from cancer through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The aim of ACA is to improve the quality and the cost of health care in the U.S., especially for those who have serious ailments, like cancer. It can give you the protection that you need against losing your insurance coverage. In addition, it also protects the health care benefits that you currently have.

Your Rights Under ACA

Under the Affordable Care Act, your rights as a cancer patient are protected. The ACA ensured that health plans must cover people with a pre-existing condition, even cancer. It states that your health plans have to help pay for your treatment. Here are your rights:

Your health insurance cannot be canceled because you were diagnosed with cancer.

If you have cancer, you cannot be denied insurance.

Children cannot be turned down for coverage. Even young adults can stay on their parents’ plan until the age of 26.

Your health plan must help pay for routine costs associated with approved clinical trials. That is, if you want to take part in any clinical trial, which you have qualified in.

Furthermore, cancer patients can get quality health care because of the rules about the most that you have to pay from your own pocket. There may be limits when it comes to the amount that you are allowed to spend, but there is no dollar limit on the covered expenses that an insurance company should spend for your health care. Per the Affordable Care Act, annual and lifetime limits have already gone away.

Other Benefits Under ACA

Your appointments with doctors, hospital stays, and other tests and procedures should be covered by your health insurance. However, you also have to expect that not all will be covered by your plan and you will be required for co-payments.

Still, you have to make sure that you understand your family health insurance policy very well. You need to know the terms of your policy as well the doctors and hospitals that are in your network so that you know who to consult without worrying about too much out of pocket expenses. It is understandable that you will have questions about this matter, so it is best to discuss it with your insurance provider.